Michael Carty Economy Quotations

You've got two things: a horrible retail environment ... and oil prices are up to $32 a barrel. When energy prices rise they pervade all aspects of the economy and costs go up. ... The big thing overhanging the market is what we are going to do with Iraq.

Although people are somewhat concerned about where the economy is going, some rational exuberance is finally entering the market. Investors have been so pessimistic for so long that it seemed to be endemic, but people are beginning to believe there's an end in sight to all of this (bad news).

The economy remains in a growth pattern, and normally the market would be responding favorably. But people are worried about inflation, the rise in energy prices and the weak dollar.

Most analysts are calling for the market to rise between 5 percent and 10 percent next year, but I think it could be more like 15 percent. The economy is heating up, the employment picture has been improving and companies will begin spending more.

The markets seem to be rising as a consequence of the fact that the Federal Reserve had decreased the interest rate by half a percentage point and the fact that people began to believe the Fed was going to do whatever it can do to continue to see the economy turn around.

In most election years, stocks are up. But when you think about the kinds of policies that are going to be implemented, the market gets a little worried. So, I would say up until the election you will see some very interesting dynamics. If they feel that a demonstration is favorable, drug stocks will get in then and all of a sudden the drug stocks will start looking hot. If the economy seems to be moving along nicely the high-tech new economy-type stocks will continue to do well,